Paint It Red
by Kalsypher
Summary: After a name change, Kaiden has a fresh start. She tried her best to get out from her political father's hold, but his connections reach into the FBI. Truthfully, Kaiden had no idea what division she wanted to join, but her interview with the BAU convinced her that was her place to be. There was a question in the back of her mind she couldn't ask. Why the BAU?
1. Chapter 1

The dark office felt suffocating. It didn't help how cluttered the office was. The bookshelves behind the desk were lined top to bottom with law books she would like to read. College degrees and various awards were framed and hung on the wall behind her. Stacks of Manila folders were placed on the edge of the desk, some messier than others from disorganized viewers sloppily placing paperwork in before shutting again.

Worst of all, she wasn't alone. After graduating high school, she took it upon herself to change her name. She was no longer Katherine "Katie" Jemma Richardson. She was Kaiden Elise Finley. Kaiden was the name of her deceased mother, her father's mistress. Elise Finley was her mother's mother that had helped take care of her after her mother died.

The man next to her was older, in his forties or fifties, balding despite his dark hair. He wore half-moon spectacles with a dark purple frame. It made his green eyes seem greener, the only genetic characteristic that would suggest they were related. Usually he wore an older brown suit, but he had gone the extra mile, buying a perfectly tailored black suit with thin pinstripes. His shirt was the standard white with his trademark purple tie. He was Woodrow Richardson, the mayor of Richmond, and a formidable ally when elections came, though that hardly mattered when dealing with the FBI.

While she sat stiff and nervous, he sat jittery, his legs bouncing as he constantly checked his watch. "That bastard said noon, and it's almost eleven fifty-five. Where the hell is he?"

That made Kaiden relax a bit, causing her to sit more comfortably in the leather chair. She enjoyed watching people be uncomfortable. She liked watching them shift around, squirm, and sweat. It was a hobby of hers. If the coffee house was packed, she would choose a random table where someone sat alone and sit with them, ignoring their questions, even if she was just looking out the window to pass the time.

If she had to guess, there was a hidden camera in the room, because at exactly noon, Woodrow stood, ready to go to the director and put him in his place. At the same time, a serious faced man, rushed in, pausing only a moment to look at the two of them, before putting his files down and leaving the room once more.

Woodrow chased after the man, yelling the whole way. Kaiden stood, walking to the doorway and crossing her arms over her chest as Woodrow yelled at the man who was listening to every word and profanity yelled at him.

Then she heard it, her father's trump card. He was golfing buddies with the director and had arranged the interview. Every eye in the room moved to Kaiden, who stood fearlessly in the doorway though she wanted to run and hide in embarrassment. Sure, she had applied at the FBI, but only as a lowly clerk so she could work her way into a position she wanted. Here she was, thrust straight into the lions' den.

The serious man kept his cool, though his long strides showed his clear aggravation. Woodrow was a few steps behind him, but there was just enough time for the serious man to get in his office and close the door after Kaiden moved in behind him.

There was an unspoken agreement between the two when he locked the door and gestured her to sit down, "I apologize for my rudeness. I'm Special Agent Aaron Hotchner."

She shook his hand, "Kaiden Finley. There's no need to apologize to either of us. He's scum, and I did not ask for this interview." She reached into her bag and pulled out a folder containing various documents about her, birth certificate, adoption papers, job writes up, the works. "If you would like to turn your attention to my birth certificate, you will notice that the father is nameless. Mayor Richardson didn't claim me. I don't claim him. I made sure of that when I graduated high school."

"Katherine Jemma Richardson. You changed your entire name. Why is that?" He asked curiously.

"Because of manipulation like this," she said, clearly frustrated and used to this type of treatment. "He only has sons, so when his wife wants anything for a daughter to do, he puts me in it. I could promise you if he still had his way, he would put me in Miss America. God knows how many beauty pageants I got put in because of that witch."

She took a deep breath and slowly let it go. "I'm sorry. This is a job interview, not a therapy session," she mumbled to herself.

"Have you ever been in therapy?" He asked as he looked through the papers he had given her. "Why even consider this job with a job history and record like you have?"

"So, you'll see how much I changed after high school, when I was no longer forced to associate with him in secret," she replied, pulling out another folder.

She had a few bachelors degrees, a master's, and a doctorate. She had received many awards and praises in her retail position, moving from a seasonal worker to full time management in three years, all while going to school. No crime or negativity followed the name Kaiden Finley. It was as though she had flipped a switch, leaving a juvenile delinquent life behind the day she turned eighteen.

"This is impressive," he praised as he continued to look through her achievements. "Now, do you want to be interviewed for the job or not? Not as a curtesy, but as a real interview," he clarified.

Her jaw went slack for a moment as she stared at him. He really wanted to interview her. Forcing her self from her stupor, she nodded, "Um, yes, sir. I would appreciate that."

The interview was simple and standard, as simple and standard as it could be when the interviewer is a lawyer and profiler. By the end, they must have talked over two hours. He never smiled.

She shook his hand when it was over, "Thank you for the opportunity, Agent Hotchner."

"You'll have a second interview with Agent Rossi. I'm sure he'll agree to hire you, but it's standard for two interviews," he told her, silencing her once again.

"I possibly have a job?" She asked.

"Possibly," his lip slightly twitched in amusement. "Next time, don't invite the mayor."

"If we could arrange an interview for next week, he's going to Canada for a week," she confided as she opened the door.

"I'll be sure to let Agent Rossi know."

The room went silent again as she shook his hand, no amusement to be found on their faces. She could see the question in his eyes as she turned to leave. The general public didn't need to know if the interview went well or not.

When she got to the elevator, she found Woodrow sitting on a bench, angrily tapping his foot. He immediately got on his feet, putting his finger in her face, "I have been out here for three hours, Katie! If you didn't get that damn job-"

"I didn't get the job," she said as she pushed the button for the elevator. "You have no authority here, Mayor. Your name isn't on the birth certificate, and your life will go up in flames if you sign it now." She stepped into the elevator, turning to face him once again, "Why don't you go talk to that director friend of yours? See if there's a way for the mayor's bastard child to become an agent."


	2. Chapter 2

Kaiden lifted the black and white dress up to her chin, looking at it thoughtfully. It was a professional dress, but a dress seemed desperate. Then again, she had been wearing a dress when she interviewed with Agent Hotchner. That had been circumstantial. If she wore pants, she thought that would be too casual' too certain. A skirt would have to do.

She felt like an idiot as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The skirt was black and white, tasteful for the situation. Her blouse was grey, low necked, but not low enough to show cleavage. It was billowy, the sleeves having a slit from the wrist to the shoulder, though a thin cuff on her wrist kept it shut. She hated that shirt.

As she finished putting in earrings with dangling black flowers, she smoothed out the outfit once more, not pleased with how she looked, but not displeased either. Stepping into black heels, she made her way out the door, small purse on her shoulder as she made her way out of her apartment.

Hailing a cab, she scooted to the back and directed him to take her to Quantico. She wasn't surprised when the driver didn't ask questions, opting to enjoy the uncomfortable silence.

The check in was simple enough, sign in, receive a visitor's badge, and hopefully find the destination. She wasn't surprised when she arrived late to the interview. Someone had given her bad directions and she had ended up on the terrorist floor, where another Agent Rossi resided. To her relief, Agent Hotchner had found her wandering the halls and escorted her to Rossi"/ office.

"Agent David Rossi," a kind man with a gentle smile introduced as he shook her hand. He had thick dark hair and a dark goatee.

For someone so kind, his office seemed sparse compared to Agent Hotchner"/ office. The two seemed to be the opposite of their personas. Agent Hotchner, who appeared to be reserved, was the one willing to open people to his "home", a place that showed his personality. Rossi, who appeared to be more open, was the one who kept next to no personal effects in his office, almost as though he had never planned to settle in.

He sighed as he sat at his desk, gesturing her to sit, and studying her for a few moments. "You know, I didn't vote for your dad. I thought he was sleazy and two-faced. Nice to know I'm right."

"From your books, it seems you're right most of the time. Were you doubting your profiling skills?"

"No, but I usually profile criminals. Out of habit, it tends to seep into my personal life as well. He hasn't done anything wrong, has he?"

She shrugged, "I try to stay away from him. I don't know why he wants me in the BAU."

He leaned forward, hands folded on his desk, "You didn't apply for this position?"

"I applied for a clerk position. A standard background check must have flagged me."

"Tell me about Katie Richardson," he said as he leaned back in his chair. "Is she a second personality?"

"No, I as just a different child. Woodrow had a mistress, multiple actually. Even a, uh, mister, I think. He made it very clear to my mother he wanted nothing to do with me, but his wife was a different story. I came around when it benefitted her. Even though his name isn't on my birth certificate, they shared custody for that reason. Violet was very keen on having a daughter, so I was put in beauty pageants, cheerleading, things like that. He probably paid the media to forget me after certain events.

"I was raised to never call him Dad. It was practically drilled into me that I had no father, only a man named Woodrow that occasionally dropped by to see me, or send me a birthday card or Christmas present. I don't know when I realized he was using me for his wife's happiness. I must have been twelve because that was the first time I was sent to a juvenile detention center. It was supposed to scare me. I was only there for three days, and I was treated like a princess.

So, my life of crime began. I always let myself get caught, just so people would know who I was, but it got brushed under the rug. Arson was my favorite thing to do because it made the fire department mad. Every time they were ready to train new recruits at a control fire, I would burn the house down a few days before so they would have to reschedule."

"Have you ever committed an actual crime? One that didn't fit your agenda?" Rossi asked.

"I stole about $1200 from a register at a gas station just to see if I could. After the police left, I returned it when no one was looking. Life of crime just isn't for me, though I'm still a good pickpocket when need be."

He sighed, "So, tell me about Kaiden Finley."

"Ive got a few bachelors degrees, all varying in psychology, sociology, and other endeavors. I have a master's in sociology, and a doctorate in sociology."

"Why sociology? You would have made a great politician."

She smiled a bit at his joke, "I'm done with politics. Woodrow always said the biggest insult I ever put on his name was when I went to therapy. Therapy is where the crazies go that can't get ahold of their life. I don't really know why I chose sociology. Everything I've ever done was just to rub Woodrow's face in the dirt. When I dropped his name, I dropped that lifestyle, but the mental games I had played along the way made me want to become better at them. I had to understand more and be able to pick at people"/ minds, find out what makes them tick, and how far I could push them before they flew off the edge. I guess you could say sociology chose me."

He reached into his desk and pulled out a folder. "I want you to look at this and tell me what you see."

Curious, she pulled the folder closer and opened it up, blanching a bit at the bloody crime scene. It was a forest, a man cut in half, intestines splayed out with no legs to be found. According to the report, he had just died a few hours before, his body still warm. What a terrible way to go.

For someone to be ripped in half like that, he was clean of all debris. The cut was oddly clean, showing that a machine had been what dismembered him. She continued through the pictures, noticing how careful the cut had been. None of the organs had been touched.

"They took his left kidney?" She asked as she looked at Rossi.

"Well? What do you think happened?"

She sighed as she looked through all the information again, "Well, at first I thought a machine, but the organs are still in tact meaning a butcher or surgeon. If it was a surgeon, the UNSUB could be male or female with access to drugs, but if it was a butcher, it would be male because a woman wouldn't be able to subdue a man that size. Since they took a specific organ, they knew his blood type, making the UNSUB most likely a surgeon or someone with a steady hand in the medical field. With someone in the medical field you can know hundreds to thousands of people and all of them still be strangers, so this person likely knew or at least met this man before. He would have willingly gone with a doctor if the doctor said something was wrong. I'm going to say white male, mid thirties to mid forties, medical field, experienced."

"Why white?" Rossi asked curiously.

"Murders rarely cross racial lines, even with this kind of stuff."

"You get bonus points if you can tell me what field of study," Rossi smiled.

"Well, I mean, he took a kidney...urology? Or a medical examiner since he obviously had somewhere to do this to a body."

Rossi stretched out his hand, "Thank you for coming in, Ms. Finley. Come in early Monday so we can start the paperwork and get your badge made."


	3. Chapter 3

Monday came too soon. Kaiden avoided rubbing her eyes as she stepped into the Human Resources office. Still, she yawn as the door opened. The urge to wipe her eyes was too strong to resist, so she tried her hardest not to touch the eye makeup she had devoted so much time to perfecting. If five minutes staring at a compact mirror in the back of a cab counted.

She wasn't proud of how she looked for her first day, but she had no idea what to do. Her autumn copper hair was braided over her shoulder, untamable bangs framing her face. Her blouse, once again billowy, was blue and white, her pants black with flats. As soon as she had the chance to go shopping, she was going to get rid of these billowy rayon shirts.

Five hours of paperwork and one picture later, Kaiden was finally allowed to go to the BAU. She was surprised to see the room mostly empty. Agent Rossi's and Agent Hotchner's offices were empty and dark. The BAU team was missing.

"Oh, thank God you're finally here," a woman said hurriedly as she practically ran to Kaiden. The blond haired woman didn't look like an FBI agent. She was too colorful, too happy. Her running in those pink heels was impressive.

She pushed a folder into Kaiden's hands, "Their plane just landed. You'll be on the next flight to Michigan." After a quick look over, the colorful woman gave Kaiden a tight-lipped smile, "You might want to go pack a bag. There's no telling how long you'll be gone."

"Thank you," Kaiden replied dully as she looked at the folder.

Evidentially, this job wasn't going to be easy. Her reputation had already been destroyed by mere association with Mayor Richardson. She would be building from the ground up, and dare anyone to stand in her way.

It didn't take long for Kaiden to pack. All of her outfits, professional and otherwise could fit in a single suitcase. She wasn't much for shopping in stores, and when she shopped online, nothing was her taste. Shopping with her or for her was impossible and a lost cause.

When she was taken to the personal jet of the FBI, she was surprised at how luxurious it was. Nice carpet, leather sofas, the whole deal. As she took a seat by the window, she opened the file to start looking over the facts.

So far, there had been four bodies. One was an elderly woman, Lina Quintana that ran an orphanage. Witnesses say she was strict, but not abusive. The kids liked her well enough, but still she had been murdered, an easy, deep slash, ear to ear. According to the autopsy, the cut was so violent, it nearly severed her head.

It was the bodies found in the shack that caught her attention. All of them had burlap sacks to hide their identities. There was a woman named Kaya Cross, blond hair and blue eyes. Like the woman from the orphanage, she had her neck sliced open, nearly decapitating her. She had been a housewife with six children, all under the age of ten. Her husband had died a few months before, forcing her to get a job, which she had found to be rather hard to hold. Her children were living with their grandparents until she was able to get a stable job and support them.

Another was a man named Jawad Carpenter, African American and short. Having lived up to his last name, he was in fact, a carpenter. With a rap sheet like his, that was the only job he would ever have since it was family run. Theft, drugs, weapons, but the worst and most recent of the events was seven attempted rape charges, all which he were found not guilty. He had been shot in the chest with a buckshot.

The last was a tall, broad shouldered, middle aged white man that was balding named Theo Whitaker. This man clearly had some money with his tailored to fit Gucci suit, Rolex watch, and Coach belt. The only affordable thing on his person was his underwear, and that was because he wasn't wearing any. He was a higher up in the Gucci corporation and no criminal charges whatsoever. He had been strangled with chains.

When she looked at the photos of the crime scene, they took a picture of the wall behind the group. Written in red, just above the bodies, were descriptions of the people. Kaya was defiant. Jawad was a rapist. Theo was a murderer.

Something in the back of Kaiden's mind told her this was something that had happened before. It wasn't something she had learned in the academy, but something she experienced. Hopefully, she would remember.

When she landed in Michigan, she tugged her jacket closer from the terrible winter gush of wind. The sooner they finished this case, the better. Agent Rossi and Agent Hotchner greeted her at the airport, helping her get her bag into the car and handing her another file.

"They found a fifth body," Hotchner informed her as she opened the file.

The brown haired woman was found in the woods, barely hidden in snow by a hunter's cabin. Beau Coulson was a head forest ranger with no husband or family to report her missing. Fortunately, the killer seemed to have found his method of killing, with a quick slice across the neck.

Kaiden picked up a picture of the crime scene, eyes narrowing at a tree just focused enough to make out some scratches on the bark. Moving back to the other folders, she found similar scratches hidden where they looked to have belonged.

"I need to go to the crime scenes," she said as she flipped through the pictures.

Without question, they took her to the orphanage where the woman's bedroom was still blocked off. Holding up a photo, she looked for the exact spot in the room where the scratch should be.

Carved into the head board amongst more carvings were some scratches. They would have just looked like chips to a normal person, but Kaiden was not a normal person. Pulling out her phone, she took a picture of the scratches and stepped back.

"I need to talk to the kids. I need paper and a pencil, too," she said as she walked around the room.

There were no more obvious scratches to be seen, but still she scribbled down three different groups of scratches, and showed them to each child. She also asked if they knew Aventus Arentino. None of them could help her, so the trio headed to the police station, where she was not greeted warmly.

"Sorry for the delay. Kaiden, this is the team, Derek Morgan, Spencer Reid, and Jennifer Jareau," Hotchner introduced.

She gave them a small smile and wave before looking back at the board. At some point, they must have sent forensic teams back to the crime scenes because she had blown up pictures of each scratch found.

"Hotch said you think those mean something," Derek spoke up as Kaiden looked over the scratches.

"They do," Kaiden confirmed as she leaned against a table, tapping a pen on her palm. "They just don't make sense."

Stepping up to each picture, she wrote the definition of each scratch and where the crime scene was. Leader had been found with the orphanage woman, Lina. Humble had been found etched into the wood by Defiant for Kaya. Doomed was etched in by Rapist for Jawad. Father was etched in by Murderer for Theo. Feral was found with Beau.

She knew what would come next. Next on the list of people to kill was a beggar, possibly a drunken one. If they wanted to stop the murders, a live feed of the Black Sacrament would have to be performed.

Her attention turned to Derek who was watching her intensely. "Have you ever played the Elder Scrolls games?"

His brows furrowed, "Yeah, why?"

"Ever play Skyrim? You look like you would join the Companions."

He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back, "What's your point?"

"Have you ever joined the Dark Brotherhood?" She asked, turning back to the pictures. "Personally, it's my favorite quest line."

"I heard you had a little job with the SWAT teams," he said as he walked to her side. "Do you think that's what we're dealing with?"

"The next two bodies they find will be a homeless man and a factory worker of some kind. He will have recently quit or left his job over some paranoid something or other. That man will probably know the killer and know that he's going to die. Really, the only way to prevent this is the Black Sacrament. Or, if there is a way to convince the murderer that Cicero is coming with the Nigh Mother, that may delay the killings. It couldn't blatantly be announced, but if there was a way to tell the Listener that the Night Mother is coming, that would put him on a brief pause."

"I'm sure JJ could get that word out," Derek assured as he looked at the pictures. "The Dark Brotherhood. What the hell is going on in this place?"


End file.
